


Romano x Reader: That time of the year

by HyunYoh



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Angst, Death, F/M, Feels, Flashbacks, Historical Hetalia, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Loving Marriage, Modern Era, Multi, One Shot, Reader-Insert, Tragedy, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-01
Updated: 2015-10-01
Packaged: 2018-06-05 20:22:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6721981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HyunYoh/pseuds/HyunYoh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the 24th of August. Summer is ending and autumn is on the doorstep. The summer has been great, it's a wonderful day, but Romano's not happy. This day is never a happy day for him as old scars begin to ache and his guilty conscience haunts him. What happened several centuries ago is still too fresh in his mind to let go of. No one blamed him, no one ever tried to blame him, but he cannot forgive himself and his wife can only watch each and every year as he tears himself apart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Romano x Reader: That time of the year

It was a hot summer morning in August and you were cuddling up to your husband, just enjoying the peace. However, it wouldn't remain calm for long. It wouldn't be long before the tranquillity  would be broken by a high pitched war cry, as your son would jump on both you and your husband to wake you up in the morning. From where he got his energy in the morning you had no idea since neither of you were especially pleased about being woken up in the morning.  
  
On the calendar on your bedside table today's date was marked – August 24th. Today would be a somber day no matter what the weather, or anything else, said it would be gloomy.  
  
You felt your beloved move as he slowly woke up from his uneasy slumber. He hadn't gotten a good night's sleep as it had been filled with nightmares and old memories that he wished he could forget. He had spent the entire night tossing and turning, trying to get some sleep.  
  
He rolled over to face you, blinking his eyes open and revealing his hazel eyes, clouded with sleep. This made you to smile warmly at him, because he was just so adorable with his disheveled hair and sleepy eyes. You hugged him close and rested your head in the crook of his neck, nuzzling him like a kitten. He returned your affections by wrapping his arms around you as his brain gradually awoke.  
  
Alas, the moment was soon broken by - just like you had predicted - your 8-year old son who jumped on top of the both of you with his usual war cry. Most of his weight landed on your husband, though, who let out a surprised gasp.  
  
       “ _B-bambino_...?!”  
       “ _Papa_! _Mamma_! It's time to wake up!” your son Silvano chimed happily.  
  
You smiled and chuckled as you reached up to your boy's soft mop of hair. You were careful to avoid the curl that he had inherited from his father, but he looked just as much like you as his father. Your son laughed gleefully as you ruffled his hair.  
  
       “ _Mamma_ , stop!” he laughed.  
You chuckled and sat up. “Nope!” you responded with a smile and laid him on his back to blow raspberries on his stomach.  
  
Your husband Romano watched you play with your son with the affectionate eyes of a father. Even though his body ached and his eyelids felt heavy from the lack of sleep, he just couldn't help but feel a certain sense of contentment. It was almost that he couldn't believe that it was true. That he had found such an amazing woman to love and who loved him back, and one with whom he shared this wonderful son.  
  
After you were done playing with Silvano you removed him from Romano's stomach and gently set him down between the two of you, telling him that you would be starting breakfast soon if only he was patient for a little bit more.  
  
       “Okay, _mamma_!”  
  
Silvano lay down between you and Romano and tried to hug you both, but it wasn't an easy feat with his short arms, so you and Romano shifted closer to him and hugged him, also kissing the top of his head.  
  
       “Let's lie here for a bit before getting up, okay?”  
       “Sounds good to me, _amore_ ,” Romano mumbled tiredly. He would have stayed in bed all day if he had the option, but he doubted that you would allow him to despite knowing what day it was.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
As you prepared breakfast for your family of three you could hear your little bundle of energy making a mess in the living room with his toys. Even though you knew you and Romano would be the ones to clean that mess up later you couldn't help but chuckle. You would go through hell for your son if the need arose.  
  
However, as you heard the sound of a knife slowly being sharpened you were reminded of the fact that you would have to go through hell to care for your husband that day. Not that you were complaining, it was just how it was this time of the year. For the rest of the day you knew Romano would be extra gloomy even when Silvano was around.  
  
Silvano had learnt at that point not to pester his father too much. So he would try to be extra helpful around the house, even though he still didn't understand why his father got so gloomy on this particular day every year. Of course, you didn't have the heart to tell him just yet either. He wasn't old enough, but one day, when he was a little older, you would tell him.  
  
Romano stood beside you and sharpened one of large kitchen knives against the sharpening rod for kitchen tools. There was a distant look in his eyes as he kept at the repetitive task of moving the blade back and forth across the metal rod.  
  
When he was done with the first knife, he started with the next knife in the line. As he dragged the blade across the metal, back and forth, he could hear screams and cries of agony echoing inside his head, replaying over and over.  
  
He still didn't quite understand it himself. It had been centuries, millennia even, since it happened. So why did it still affect him so much? Why did his scar still ache every year on this day – the same day _it_ had happened. Why wouldn't the guilt go away?  
  
The Italian sighed and put the last knife aside then placed the rod on the counter as well.  
  
       “I'm going out to my garden for a bit, _tesoro mio_ ,” he mumbled quietly to you and pecked your cheek.  
       “Okay, I'll bring the food out later when it's done then. We can eat breakfast outside for once,” you replied tenderly and smiled.  
  
Romano nodded solemnly and trudged his way out to his garden, leaving you to put away the sharpened knives. Once he got out he squatted down in front of his beloved tomato plants and started tending to them.  
  
Every now and then he would reach up to scratch at the one of the scars on his chest that was his constant reminder of his sin from that time. The disaster had shook his land greatly and so many had died. He had tried to save them, but instead he had gotten himself caught in the midst of it and caused them even more pain. Unable to save anyone he had been forced to recover to the tormented screams of his people, and he could still hear them to this day.  
  
Completely lost in memories, he didn't even notice that his eyes were filling up with tears.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
Inside the house Silvano tugged on your apron. He wanted to ask you something. He wanted to know why his _papa_ was so sad. Silvano didn't like it when his _papa_ was sad, because when he was sad it made both you and Silvano sad, and he didn't like it when neither of you smiled.  
  
       “ _Mamma_?” he asked tentatively.  
You removed the food from the heat to give your boy your undivided attention. “Yes, _bambino_?”  
       “Why is _papa_ so sad? I don't like it... And I saw him scratching his chest. Is _papa_ hurt?”  
       “Whoa whoa! One question at the time, Silva,” you told him. “ _Mamma_ can't handle more than one question at the time.”  
       “Why is _papa_ sad?”  
  
For a moment your mind went blank. You had known the questions would come sooner or later, because Silvano was at the age when he would want to know everything, but you still hadn't exactly prepared for this conversation just yet. You needed think of something quickly to tell your concerned 8-year old boy..  
  
       “Something bad happened to your _papa_ a long time ago and he blames himself for it. He's having a hard time forgiving himself.”  
       “Why does he blame himself, _mamma_?” Silvano asked curiously.  
       “He thinks he could have stopped it from happening if he had been more alert.”  
       “Could he have stopped it?”  
You sighed sadly and squatted down to Silvano's level. “No, sweetie. He couldn't have, but he's sure that that's the case.”  
       “And what about his scratching? Is he hurt?”  
You smiled a little for your boy. “No, it's nothing you need to worry about, _bambino_. Now go and play. Breakfast's almost ready, okay?”  
Silvano nodded hesitantly. “Okay, _mamma_...”  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
The day passed by slowly, almost as if the god of time himself had decided to take a moment, or a day, to mourn that tragic event all those centuries ago.  
  
You had kept an eye on your beloved all day and had made sure to be extra affectionate to show him that he wasn't alone, but despite your best efforts you couldn't seem to bring even the tiniest of smiles to his lips.  
  
At the moment Silvano was taking a siesta and normally you and Romano would join him, but your beloved didn't seem to be in the mood. Then again, he never was on this day. The two of you sat outside in a garden couch on the patio, you were relaxing against Romano's shoulder and he seemed to be deep in thought.  
  
His face was one twisted with guilt. His lips were drawn in a line and he was lightly nibbling on his lower lip, his eyebrows were furrowed and his eyes were deep hazel abysses of remorse.  
  
Gently you decided break the silence that seemed to rest over the vicinity. “Romano, please talk to me. You've barely said a word to me all day.”  
       “... There's nothing to say.” Was his reply, which made you frown.  
       “That's not true. Your son is worried about you and so am I. I know today is a sad reminder for you, but you can't keep doing this every year.”  
       “But it was my fault that it happened. It was my mistake! If I had just gotten to them sooner! If I hadn't brushed off the warning as nothing then we could have prevented it from happening!” His voice was agitated and so full of pain. You knew he was close to tears, but that he was too stubborn to let them fall in front of you.  
  
You sat up, turned around and enveloped him in your arms. You gently pushed his head to rest against your shoulder and rubbed his back, trying to coax him to relax, but he remained stiff in your arms.  
  
       “There was nothing you could have done. How could you have known what would happen? No one could have foreseen that event,” you tried to comfort him.  
       “I'm the personification of this country, I should've been able to sense it! I still remember their cries and pain as if it was just yesterday...”  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
_Romano was on his way to the city of Pompeii. There had been a few smaller earthquakes around that area recently, so he was worried about his people and had decided to see how they were doing. Maybe even help out with whatever he could, if there was any serious damage, since the city had still not yet recovered from the previous earthquake that had shaken the country. Even though he seemed like a bastard, he did care about his and his grandfather's people._  
  
_He had just arrived in the city, and it was late at night, when screams and cries echoed throughout the entire city. He could feel the pain of his people reflected back onto him. He didn't know what had happened, but he soon got his answer. The believed-to-be-dormant volcano Mount Vesuvius had erupted._  
  
_People were running all over, trying to escape and total chaos wrecked the city. People were crying and buildings came crashing down. Romano could feel how the blood of those unfortunate enough to not escape the rapidly moving lava flow, boiled as the lava buried them._  
  
_His body set into motion and he set into the city in order to save as many as he could. As he ran he heard many buildings come crashing down as hot lava destroyed them._  
  
_Soon enough he found several people trying to escape together. He told them he'd get them to safety and they quickly followed him, desperate to get to safety. They didn’t even stop to question the fact that they were following a kid. Many people started following suit as well, hoping to be saved._  
  
_Romano desperately searched for a safe and quick way out. He needed to save them. He **had** to save them! However, just as he found one and got them to run for it, the unthinkable happened. The biggest wave yet came crashing down over them, completely drowning them in lava and burning them alive._  
  
_Romano felt like his entire body was melting and disintegrating. His skin bubbled like the concoction of a witch's pot and his entire being felt like it was sizzling. Not soon enough the pain became too much to bear and he blacked out._  
  
_…_  
  
_The next thing Romano was aware of was feeling terribly hot and sore. His memories were fuzzy and he couldn't remember what had happened. He didn't know what he had done, but it felt like his blood had turned into liquid fire, and he was burning from the inside and out. Somehow he managed to get out of the cramped space he was confined in, but when he got out he was in for a rude awakening._  
  
_Romano found himself standing all alone in a desolate and completely lifeless sea of solidified lava. The area was entirely devoid of life of any kind, and the ground that he stood on was still slightly warm._  
  
_Even though he had recovered almost entirely during the time he had been unconscious, his body was still sensitive, especially to heat. His chest ached as well and not just from emotional pain, but also from the scars that would remain for many centuries to come._  
  
_The ground's heat stung terribly and his feet screamed at him to get off the hardened and hot ground beneath him, but the little boy stood frozen in his spot as the memories of what had taken place came rushing back._  
  
_He remembered everything and he wished that he didn't. Romano let out an agonized wail and fell to his small knees, ignoring his aching body's protests._  
  
_He felt so guilty. Why hadn't he felt this coming? It was his fault. He should have been able to prevent this! He should have gotten there faster! He should have been quicker. He should have made sure the path was actually safe! He should have... ... It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair! Why was he so useless?!_  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
Your husband could no longer hold back his tears, despite his stubbornness, and cried on your shoulder as he clung to you desperately. It was as if he feared that you would disappeared if he let go. You could only rub his back soothingly and whisper sweet nothings in his ear as he cried, doing your best to calm him.  
  
       “You did what you could, _amore_. You tried your best,” you murmured to him.  
       “But they still died and their wonderful city still disappeared, and it was my fault! I should have tried harder! If it wasn't for my mistake at least _they_ would have lived! I should have checked that the path was safe!” he cried.  
       “It was chaos, and you couldn't have known. You were stressed and pressed, and you were in pain. You only did what you thought was right.”  
  
Romano didn't listen, however, and only kept weeping against your shoulder while you continued doing your best to soothe your husband's fragile and barbed-wired heart. The very same heart that you fell in love with so many decades ago.  
  
Suddenly you heard a tiny voice from the patio door and turning your head to look in the direction of the sound where you saw your son, looking at the two of you worriedly while rubbing his tired eyes.  
  
       “ _Mamma_? Why is _papa_ crying?”  
You beckoned him over. “Come here, Silvano. Your _papa_ needs a hug.”  
       “Okay, _mamma_.”  
  
Silvano walked over to his parents and wrapped his arms around his _papa_ as well. He didn't understand what had happened, but he wanted to make his _papa_ happy again. It made his chest hurt when he saw his _papa_ crying, and he wanted it to stop. He wanted his _papa_ 's pain to go away and he wanted the pain in his chest to stop too.  
  
Romano felt Silvano's arms wrap around his waist and gazed down at his son, tears still in his eyes. He could see the worry in Silvano's eyes and knew that he had caused that look. So he slowly removed one of his hands from you and used to to pull Silvano close into a tight hug.  
  
       “ _Bambino_...” His voice was cracking.  
       “ _Papa_?”  
       “Don't leave me and your _mamma_...”  
       “Why would I do that, _papa_?”  
       “Just promise me, _bambino_ ,” Romano practically begged his son.  
  
He needed to hear it. He knew that he couldn't stop Silvano from leaving eventually, but just for now he wanted to keep believing that he would always be there. He could only hope he wasn't making another mistake.  
  
Silvano hugged his _papa_ tighter. “I promise, _papa_. I'll never leave you and _mamma_. I'll always be here.”  
  
You smiled at your son and husband, also tightening your grip on the both of them in a tight and warm family hug. You were so grateful for your family and so was Romano. The three of you just kept hugging each other for another half hour, like a protective circle that nothing bad could penetrate. Your little circle was safe and secure. That which Romano had searched for all those centuries ago, and finally he had it – in his family.  
  
~*~*~*~*  
  
At dinner Romano finally smiled for the first time that day, though small as it was, it was a smile nonetheless, and after dinner the entire family sat down in the living room to watch a film together. All huddled close together on the couch.  
  
Later, as you and Romano went to bed, Silvano crept into the room as well and asked to sleep with you, which you allowed of course. Then finally, as the two of you fell asleep hugging your dearest son, the 24th of August came to a satisfying end.

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfic was written for the Two Weeks theme that the deviantART group Passionate-About-Art was hosting in October. The theme was _Mistakes_ and it wasn't until a day before deadline that inspiration finally hit me. A Romano readerfic with angst and trauma of Pompeii!
> 
> Sadly I couldn't start working on the idea as soon as I got it. I got it around 5 AM that day... ^^;
> 
> This was also one of few fanfics that had barely been proofread before it's first upload, and was for one reason only. The deadline was the same date I finished the story, so I needed to get this out there as soon as possible, and proof reading takes a lot of time. They need to read it, give me feedback and I need to take their feedback into account and edit accordingly. It's a time consuming process and I didn't have that time when I wrote this.
> 
> Now it has gone through a few screenings, but I'm always happy to hear more constructive feedback on what could be improved and so on and so forth. :)
> 
> Also, I can't guarantee absolute historical accuracy, but I did my best.  
> Feedback and constructive critique is, of course as always, appreciated. :)
> 
>  **Translations:**  
>  _amore_ \- love/beloved (f/m)  
>  _bambino_ \- baby boy  
>  _mamma_ \- mommy  
>  _papa_ \- daddy  
>  _tesoro mio_ \- my treasure  
>   
> 
> **Disclaimer:  
>  I don't own Hetalia,  
> I don't own you  
> but I own this story.**


End file.
